The present invention generally relates to an electronic vaporizing device, and in particular to an electronic vaporizing device having improved functionality and increased capability.
Although various electronic smoking and vaporizing devices currently exist in the market, conventional devices have considerable drawbacks. For example, many conventional portable smoking and vaporizing devices have heating units that utilize chemical reactions to provide sufficiently rapid heating, for example a catalytic heater. A catalytic heater generates heat through a flameless catalytic reaction involving butane (or propane) and oxygen; the heat is generated by bringing the butane and oxygen from the air into contact with a platinum catalyst, which causes a chemical reaction in which butane and oxygen are converted into primarily carbon dioxide and water vapor during which heat is released. In order to start the reaction, the fuel and air mixture must be ignited by an external heat source, such as a spark or pilot light. Using chemical reactions to provide vaporizing heat has considerable shortcomings, which include frequent refilling of the butane source, inability to transport the devices (e.g. airplane travel), gaseous emissions from the butane reaction, the unpleasant scent associated with the chemical reaction, a slow heat up time due to the time required to transfer the heat to the heating element (e.g. a platinum element), and variability of operation, particularly at high altitudes. Additionally, a chemical reaction cannot typically be easily or readily stopped to allow for rapid cooling. Although the source of butane can be stopped, the reaction will generally continue until the butane already provided is spent; thus, heating units utilizing butane chemical reactions are not amenable to rapid heating or cooling, and include various drawbacks.
Many conventional electronic vaporizing devices that allow for vaporization of a liquid solution, use a wick to transfer the liquid solution, such as a propylene glycol/nicotine solution, from a capsule or cartridge onto a micro-heating element. Vaporizing the solution by directly contacting the heating element often severely reduces the life of the heating element so that such devices often require frequent replacement, so much so that some such devices employ a disposable “cartomizer” which combines the heater and nicotine capsule into one piece. Once the nicotine solution is used up, both the heater and capsule are thrown away. Other conventional devices use completely disposable units, in which both the cartomizer and battery power source are thrown away after use. Due to the difficulties associated with these configurations, such devices are prone to premature failure and often don't work particularly well even when functioning normally. Additionally, conventional electronic cigarette devices do not generally allow users to vaporize their own materials in addition to a liquid cartridge, only proprietary nicotine cartridges of questionable purity. Moreover, most such devices lack any indicator of when the nicotine capsule is exhausted so that user must determine for themselves when it is appropriate to change capsules.
Another considerable drawback of many conventional devices is power consumption. Although conventional vaporizers employ a number of mechanisms to heat matter, most are power intensive and must be plugged into a wall outlet during operation. Although portable vaporizers currently exist on the market, each has significant drawbacks. For example, non-portable vaporizers are generally limited to table tops, and require the user to grind their herbs before vaporization. Many such devices have long heat up times, anywhere from two to ten minutes, so that it is impracticable for a user to directly inhale the vapor through the device. Therefore, such devices often employ plastic tubing called “whips” or inflated plastic bags to deliver their vapor, which can be inconvenient and negatively impact the smoking experience particularly in a social setting. Additionally, conventional vaporizers often provide poor temperature control, frequently break, and operate inconsistently.
In view of the above noted difficulties associated with conventional smoking and vaporizing devices, there is a need for improved devices that address these drawbacks, as well as provide improved portability and increased heating efficiency, and that allow a user to select a variety of differing substances including both cellulose plant material and various pre-prepared substances for vaporization, while providing an enhanced “smoking” experience for the user.